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Flag of Sierra
composed of dark blue, gold, and maroon red featuring an off-white circle bearing a five-pointed star near the hoist and centered on the gold stripe. | Designer = Smith I (Smith C. Miller) | Image2 = Flag of Sierra (military).png | Use2 = 001001 | Symbol2 = | Proportion2 = 1:2 | Design2 = A purple-edge with a white background featuring a red centered near the | Designer2 = Gen. Tyler Sherman | Type2 = War Flag }} The flag of Sierra was adopted on November 27, 1858 as the . Designed personally by the first king of Sierra, Smith I, the flag is specifically outlined in Section 2 of Article I in the national constitution. It consists of a horizontal that uses dark blue, gold, and maroon and an encircled purple star aligned near the . In wartime, the flag of the Sierran Crown Armed Forces is flown on military vehicles, vessels, and entities instead of the national flag. Taking the form of a -shaped , the flag was first introduced by General Tyler Sherman in 1893. Through the Military Flag Act of 1894, if ever Sierra is in a state of war or crisis, Sherman's military flag must be flown alongside the national flag at all public properties wherever the latter flag is available. Public schools, certain public facilities (community centers), private properties, businesses, and religious buildings are however exempt from this mandate. History The current flag of Sierra has been virtually the same as the flag first described and created under the Sierran constitution in 1858. Prior to the constitution, Sierra was known as the and the Californian government flew two different flags officially under its administration: the Lone Star Flag and the Bear Flag. The Lone Star Flag was first flown by American and Mexican rebels in the city of in revolt of the in 1836. The revolt was crushed and the flag was captured by Mexican authorities who subsequently burnt it and threatened deporting anyone who flew similar flags in the area. The flag was revived again once California earned its independence in 1846 although was short-lived in favor of the more popular Bear Flag. The Bear Flag was the flag used by rebels in who succeeded in their revolt as the Mexican government lost confidence in maintaining power over California paired with the fear of war with the and . Two months after the Californian government flew the Lone Star Flag, the government decided to adopt the Bear Flag instead viewing it as more revolutionary and aesthetically pleasing compared to the simpler flag. File:Lone Star Flag.png|Lone Star Flag File:Bear Flag original.jpg|Photograph of the original Bear Flag File:Bear flag digital.png|Digital reproduction of the Bear Flag When California adopted a new constitution and renamed itself officially as the Kingdom of Sierra, naturally, a new flag design was needed. Some proposed retaining the Bear Flag with the only change being renaming the imprint of the flag from the "CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC" to "SIERRA" or the "KINGDOM OF SIERRA". Others thought of adopting a flag similar to the but the Sierran government sought to create a new distinct flag with no connections to the California Republic nor external countries including the United States. The most popular design was created by Smith C. Miller, one of the prominent members of the Constitutional Committee, who drew the designs matching today's flag and had it sewn by his wife and her friends. The flag featured a blue, gold, and red tricolor containing a white circle affixed with a purple star. Many admired the flag's simplicity yet vivid appearance and appreciated the fact that it was a departure from the traditional white background fields found on the previous two flags of California. The Constitution included Miller's design in Section 8 of Article I and was hoisted for the first time on Sierra's creation on November 27, 1858. The flag earned its nickname, "The King's Flag" months after its creator, Smith C. Miller, was crowned the first king of Sierra as Smith I. Symbolism In contemporary times, there has been a general consensus on the symbolism behind the flag which were first popularized in the early 20th century by the "new movement". The movement embraced the unification and harmony of different races, religions, ideas, and cultures into mainstream Sierran society. The blue stripe represents freedom and liberty, two concepts which are central to Sierra's democratic traditions. The yellow stripe represents economic prosperity and happiness which reflect the spirit of and the free choice of the . The red stripe represents the blood of all those who have and willing to sacrifice their lives for Sierra. It also represents the multicultural society of Sierra which declares that all Sierrans are equal regardless of their race, color, faith, sex, orientation, or ideology. In that regard, red represents the collective blood of all humans which is indistinguishable among each other if based solely on external differences. The white circle represents purity and peace, which also reflects the general desire to maintain harmony and dignity. The purple star represents society although it can also be an allusion to the monarchy whose traditional color has been purple. Each point on the star with no specified location represents a pillar of Sierran society and supporter of the monarchy: civilians, soldiers, clergymen, businessmen, and officials. The flag has been a popular symbol which has become commercialized and ingrained into Sierran culture. It is a common sight to see the flag flown on both public and private property and toted onto vehicles, products, or clothing. The of the Sierran flag, while protected as , is considered a great affront to Sierrans and an incessantly inflammatory act. The flag carries important significance among many Sierrans, some of which may even treat it as a quasi-religious icon. Colors Display and use On government buildings, the flag must be flown continuously year-round during the daytime and at night provided it is properly lit at its display site. During public holidays, the display of flags by private persons and properties become much more prominent and widespread. During times of mourning, remembrance, or emergency, the flag is flown as . When the flag must be displayed vertically, it is encouraged that a vertical version of the flag be displayed instead of using the normal flag. The rationale behind this is because when one displays the normal flag vertically, the star appears to be a which is considered to be the sign of . Tied with Sierra's strong traditions and superstition, it is considered an to display the normal flag vertically. The vertical flag properly centers the star in relation to the flag and conversely, it may not be displayed horizontally. Variants War flag is the designated and ensign for the Sierran national government during times of war or emergency.]] Through the Military Flag Act of 1894, the flag of the Sierran Crown Armed Forces may be flown or used alongside the national flag atop of government buildings or properties whenever a state of war or emergency is declared. While the Armed Forces uses the flag for both peacetime and wartime operations, government and civil buildings generally do not fly the flag during peacetime. In times of war, while civilians are not obligated to the fly the flag in place of the national flag, most government buildings are obligated to fly it alongside the national flag. Some public institutions including schools, parks, or community centers are exempted from this obligation. Introduced by General Tyler Sherman for use by the Sierran Crown Armed Forces in 1893, the flag has been informally called "Sherman's Flag". As it was intended, the flag has become analogous with the military. A distinctly contrasting look to the national flag, it nevertheless maintains a distinctly Sierran appearance and is popularly toted by civilians who see it as a defiant and bold symbol of Sierran nationalism. While the flag is mandated during times of war or distress, the Flag Code makes no mention towards the conduct or handling of the military flag as it does with the national flag. Provincial flags File:Flag of Apache.png|Apache File:Flag of Central Valley.png|Central Valley File:Flag of Clark.png|Clark File:Flag of Cornerstone.png|Cornerstone File:Flag of Eureka.png|Eureka File:Flag of Flagstaff.png|Flagstaff File:Flag of Gold Coast.png|Gold Coast File:Flag of Imperial.png|Imperial File:Flag of Inland Empire.png|Inland Empire File:Flag of Laguna.png|Laguna File:Flag of Maricopa.png|Maricopa File:Flag of Mohave.png|Mohave File:Flag of Orange.png|Orange File:Flag of Plumas.png|Plumas File:Flag of Reno.png|Reno File:Flag of Santa Clara.png|Santa Clara File:Flag of San Francisco.png|San Francisco File:Flag of San Joaquin.png|San Joaquin File:Flag of Shasta.png|Shasta File:Flag of Sonora.png|Sonora File:Flag of Tahoe.png|Tahoe File:Flag of Washumko.png|Washumko Territorial flags File:Flag of Kiribati.png|Gilbert and Ellice Islands File:Flag of Hawaii (Sierra).png|Hawai'i File:Flag of Pacific Crown Islands.png|Pacific Crown Islands File:Flag of Pacifico Norte.png|Pacifíco Norte File:Flag of Pacifico Sur.png|Pacifíco Sur File:Flag of Rapa Nui.png|Rapa Nui File:Flag of Sierran Samoa.svg|Sierran Samoa See also *Coat of arms of Sierra *Symbols of Sierra Category:Kingdom of Sierra Category:Flags